Ten Alaskans are suing the state, saying it failed to provide food stamps within the time frames required by federal law. via AlaskaBeacon
A sign indicates a store that accepts the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP, the official name of the food stamp program. Ten Alaskans are suing the state over its failure to provide food stamps within the time frames required by federal law.
“We’ve got people who are relying on family members. We’ve got people who are relying on food pantries. We’ve got people who are eating less so they can feed their kids, trying to juggle their bills and decide whether they’re going to pay for their heat or their groceries,” said Saima Akhtar, senior attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.
While 10 Alaskans are named in the class action suit – residents from Anchorage, Marshall, Petersburg, Wasilla, Bethel, Palmer, Nome and Delta Junction – they represent thousands of other Alaskans who are facing the same issue.Under federal law, the Department of Health must provide ongoing SNAP benefits to eligible applicants no later than 30 days after the date of application.
In an email on Friday, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said, “The Commissioner and DOH cannot comment on the complaint or the lawsuit because we have not seen the complaint or been served in the lawsuit.” The spokesperson didn’t immediately answer other questions regarding the backlog or its cause, or availability of language translation services for SNAP applications and forms.
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